Chapter 22 - Volume 3 (1/2)

School Arc – Chapter 3

Arutad Brugmansia was – a glamorous handsome blonde youth. With huge, light brown doe-like eyes, he was a lump of charm. His feelings show up on his face immediately.

His nickname was Art. Though the game users appointed the nickname 『Bakalt』. 『Baka』+『Art』+『Cult』, with that, it was 『Bakalt』.(1)

Why ‘cult’ was in it, was because inside the game, Art’s entourage would just follow his directions no matter how silly or inhumane of an act it was.『Do they do it even with logic?』『No, these were already fanatics, and you should probably call it as it is』, thus, it seemed this nickname marked an end to that debate.

『Art』was extraordinarily hedonistic, he didn’t have sufficient self-control. Although, he was remarked as an idiot, strangely enough, he also had a clever side. To say the least, excelling at manipulating people was worrying.

Inside the game, whether it was planning for a party, dressing someone up, dressing fashionably himself, or even supporting love, he would do it for the fun of it. Gambling, taking drugs, bullying, and killing small animals were also the same things to him.

The first time I met him, I recalled him from inside the game and thought, 『it’s over』. In front of such a fearsome opponent, there was nothing else I could do.

The unique thing about Art, among all the capturable characters, was that a serious past wasn’t even alluded to. Even in that area, he was said to be an idiot type as well. In fact, both his parents are in good health and it seems not even a rift was there, the youngest child of the six siblings held a somehow heartwarming setting. Well, he might have turned weird from being spoiled too much at present, though.

At any rate, there wasn’t even a trauma he had to overcome. If this was about his self-restraint, it could be a matter of how he could be endowed with it. Like embedding a microchip into his brain.

Fortunately, though, I honestly don’t know whether to say if it was good or not.

Art was a boy who was terribly picky with people. Since I’m the daughter of a duke, he listens to the things that I, his senior, says well enough.

But, even though I say he listens, it was to the extent where he’d feel inclined to return a response like「eh~~」 or 「don’t wanna」 to my scoldings. Though not quite satisfactory, since the notion called the hierarchical system got into his head, I was treated as the boss.

I put it upon myself. Without fail, I decided that this crafty, tyrannical child had to be domestica– educated.

That was meant as a joke.

At least, for Art, it was certain he thought people who held more authority than him had to restrain him some way or another. There was the matter of Solana-sempai’s request for help and, fortunately for me, a dependable fiance and a little brother was there too.

Solana-sempai = the effort from Art’s home. After a long journey returning home, it looks like she surrounded Art and persuaded him. Telling him, 「if you listen to what Lycoris-chan says, you won’t go wrong. If there’s anything worrying you, go consult it with her」

No, that was pretty troublesome though, sempai.

Leaving the child’s education to the school’s hands, much less, to a single student’s, was a practice I’d really like to end.

It was that very Art, who rushed over after seeing us from a distance, coming into view.

Taking his entourage along with him in droves.

And then, speaking to me.

「Long time no see~ Lady Boss. Were you lonely without me?」

「…………」

Bak… Art uses the nickname「Boss」 even with Wolf. In his head, dorm leader = boss, it seemed. Incidentally, he referred to Shade as『Sempai』.

「… haven’t I asked you repeatedly to stop with that way of calling?」

「Why not? It’s spot on, isn’t it?」

「If you keep something like that up until you reach the high society of the royal court, I’ll have to use everything I can to drive you to stop, won’t I…?」

My grudge was muffled out by a somewhat frightened Art,「It’s not like I meant anything bad by it. Right guys?」, he said, talking to his entourage behind him. Moreover, the simultaneously nodding entourage was a lot of five people today. The breakdown of which was two guys and three girls.

Art’s entourage, which sometimes increases, decreases, or swaps people, fundamentally didn’t approach us to talk. They’d only meet our gaze and lower their head. ‘Was there even some kind of agreement going around here?’, which at first I doubted, but it seems there was an agreement. I don’t even get it.

Only one person amongst the members talks to us when necessary – a boy. As Art’s male cousin, he was almost regularly at Art’s side. You could probably call him a watchdog, but I don’t believe he was actually carrying out that role. He simply watches after all.

「In the first place, why did you come here, Art?」